Super-duper pumpkin pie?

[somervilleoldtimer]

I was assigned the pumpkin pie this t-giving, and I would like to spiff it up a bit. When I was very young, my mother would make a pumpkin chiffon pie, although being young, I have no memory of what the "chiffon" aspect was, although I liked it. There will also already be a pecan pie variation on the table, so I can't go in that direction. Any thoughts about chiffon or something else? Maybe a cheesecake?

[somervilleoldtimer]

All right -- now it turns out that I have another question. . Can I make a chiffon-style pie with the coconut milk that was mentioned above, which sounds very intriguing? And if I made a refridgerated filling, how long should I bake the ginger-snap crust for, ina spring-form pan (recipe doubled) considering that it won't get a second baking?

[somervilleoldtimer]

Gosh, Hounds -- you're the best! I will let you know what kind of hybrid pie I end up making, and thanks for all the help.

[HillJ]

Playing around with the "dairy" inclusion in traditional pumpkin pie, coconut milk in place of condensed was delicious. 90% of the time I find I need to Up the "pie spice" elements called for in most recipes. Adding egg nog in place of the egg & milk components was also delicious....and all of the suggestions above are super-duper!

[cheesecake17]

My family prefers the coconut version-

I once made the pie in a tart pan with a coconut graham cracker crust. A different take on a t-day dish..

[HillJ]

cheesecake17, what style coconut did you use in the crust?

[cheesecake17]

Sweetened coconut- the kind you'd find in the baking aisle. I pulsed it in the food processor to make it finer and not so stringy.

[HillJ]

Thanks! I have dried coconut flakes and agave syrup...gonna give these subs a try next time I make a graham crust.

[cheesecake17]

let me know what happens!

When I made the pumpkin tart, I prebaked the crust a little bit, so that the filling wouldn't seep thru.

[HillJ]

I will. I agee, the prebake is a useful tip!

[Woof Woof Woof]

Thank you Vicarious for the actual recipe from your 80's BOOK. Not one "floating around..." (NTS, I really need/should buy my own JOC book)

Anyway, I always pre-bake my PP crusts too just a hare---since it's custard. Custard can kind of make the crust soggy imo.

[Emme]

Toasted ground oats are also a nice addition to the crust...

[emily]

People have given rave reviews to this Kabocha Squash Pie (and you can sub pumpkin for the squash, though I'd be inclined to use the latter):
http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_w...

[Woof Woof Woof]

Does anyone have thee ACTUAL Joy of Cooking pumpkin pie recipe ala the 1994 edition? To share here even so... I know it doesn't have squash or maple syrup or kiwi or cream cheese or butter in it ;) thanks

[goodhealthgourmet]

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...

[Woof Woof Woof]

Yea thats not it. But OK...*Sighs* That was an easy Google search eh?

[goodhealthgourmet]

really? oy. how may JoC pumpkin pie recipes are floating around out there? i think my mother *may* have a copy - i'll see if i can get it for you.

if not, check your local library.

[somervilleoldtimer]

I have a JoC edition that my mother gave me, from when it was only available in two paperback volumes, but I didn't see a PP recipe in it when I was leafing through.

[vicarious]

My JOC is a two-volume paperback from the 1980s. Here's the pumpkin pie recipe (paraphrased):
Cook, in a double boiler, until thick:
1 1/2 c. cooked pumpkin or squash
1 1/2 c. evaporated mild or cream
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/8 t. cloves
4 slightly beaten eggs

Cool slightly, then stir in 1 t. vanilla extract or 2 T. brandy or rum, 3/4 c. walnut (opt.)
Pour into baked pie shell. Serve with whipped cream.

[another_adam]

This made me curious about whether this was the same as the version in my older copy of JOC (I use the 1952 edition). Turns out that they're identical in seasonings and amount of pumpkin and milk, but differ slightly in a couple other respects:

- Used to call for 3 eggs instead of 4 (and suggests, optionally, separating them and adding the whites last)
- Instead of 3/4 cup sugar, used to call for the following combination: 6 Tbsp brown, 2 Tbsp white, 1/2 cup dark corn syrup.

It also suggests optionally adding 3/4 cup black walnut meats, and 1 tsp vanilla or 2 Tbsp brandy or rum.

[somervilleoldtimer]

Oh -- that's probably the one.

[cheesecake17]

I made a delicious coconut pumpkin pie last year. Actually, it's so easy I make it all year round!

[chowser]

What about a cheesecake base and pumpkin on top:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/double-l...

Or a different direction either pumpkin "bread pudding" with a basic white bread and pumpkin custard or "pumpkin bread" pudding with pumpkin bread as your base.

[middydd]

My favourite pumpkin pie has a ginger streusel topping, the contrast between creamy filling and crunchy topping is really nice.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[somervilleoldtimer]

Yum! That looks great!

[shaogo]

I do a take on the Joy of Cooking pumpkin pie. Instead of the recommended spice mixture, I use a Tablespoon of Chinese Five-Spice Powder, a Tablespoon of Cinnamon, and I add 1/4 cup of Molasses. When the pie's cooled a bit, I drizzle more of the molasses on the top before cutting. This pie goes great with unsweetened whipped heavy cream.

[somervilleoldtimer]

Oooooooh!!!!! I like the five-spice powder idea.

[pharmnerd]

I've made Sherry Yard's Triple Silken Pumpkin Pie several times (can Google for many iterations of recipe). It's pumpkin Pie on 'roids. Basically it's three layers (traditional pie, cream/creme fraiche layer in middle, pumpkin mousse on top) made in a springform pan.

Has many steps & ingredients, but not so bad if spread over several days. I've really only had problems with getting the crust just right (often a bit on hard side), but otherwise it's an impressive thing to serve since it's so tall.

[another_adam]

I usually go for an extremely "purist" pumpkin pie, but I started experimenting with new recipes recently to find one that worked well with squash, in anticipation of not being able to get any canned pumpkin this year. (Up until a week or so ago, there was no pumpkin at all on shelves here in Boston, due to the shortage).

It turns out that the winner was a very rich pumpkin pie recipe from Paula Deen, that used cream cheese and butter. It had something of a cheesecake taste and a nice smooth texture, but not a true cheesecake consistency. It worked well to "jazz up" the squash pie, but I'm thinking I might even use it for pumpkin now. It does need to be served room temperature or warmed slightly, or else the texture is a little "grainy" when cold.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pa...

[somervilleoldtimer]

Thanks, all. By the way, another_adam , I'm in Boston too, but didn't realize there's a shortage. Is it Boston only? Should I be sure to hoard, if I come across a supply of canned pumpkin? And is it related to the shortage of H1N1 vaccine?

[another_adam]

I think the crisis has passed, at least for now! At least in my usual pumpkin haunts (Trader Joe's, Stop&Shop, Shaw's) there was none to be found up until about a week and a half ago. It did seem to be fairly localized--I readily found big cans (though no smaller ones) in upstate NY, and brought some back in case, figuring I could auction off the extras on the black market :) They might just have been getting limited supplies in Boston, and selling out immediately-- but whatever it was, it was sad to be reading all these posts about pumpkin and not being able to get anyway!

At any rate, TJ's and Stop and Shop both have decent stocks now, so I think we're OK. And at any rate, I learned in the process that with the right recipe, you can just sub TJ's pureed butternut squash and probably nobody would notice!

[Antilope]

The best pumpkin pie I ever had was a sweet potato pie. Use Princella canned sweet potatoes.

[greygarious]

This shortage, now abating, has been discussed at length in the media and on CH: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/654096
It reflects a poor harvest in 2008. Therefore, it is likely to recur, perhaps worse, next summer so you might want to buy early for fall 2010.

Adam, that Paula Deen recipe may put the lie to Garrison Keillor's oft-repeated assertion (which rings true, compared to, say, apple pie) that the best pumpkin pie you ever ate is not all that much better than the worst pumpkin pie that you ever ate.

[Sally599]

Yeah I heard about the shortage and bought a couple of cans thinking there would be none and yet the shelves are fully stocked more so than ever---it turns out I live in a major pumpkin producing state (home to Libbys)--who knew?

[ipsedixit]

Add some Kahlua or other coffee liqueur to the pumpkin mixture.

[cinnamon girl]

A smear of mincemeat on the pastry shell before adding the pumpkin filling is nice - for a very holiday take if you want to go that route. The spices in each are compatible; pretty much the same really.

[goodhealthgourmet]

- well i happen to love pumpkin with chocolate, so i might do a chocolate pumpkin pie. Martha Stewart has a popular one: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/t...
you can sub chocolate wafers/cookies for the graham crackers if you prefer a chocolate crust

- i also adore pumpkin cheesecake, preferably with a gingersnap crust

- for something different you could also do a rich spiced gingerbread with pumpkin ice cream...or maybe pumpkin creme brulee

[Ali]

Yes to the pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust, bonus points if your gingersnaps have actual spice and warmth to them. Do a lighter, more French-style cheesecake filling with the gingersnap crust (topped, of course, with a spiced whipped cream and a crisp gingersnap for texture) and you'll separate yourself from the heavy pecan pie right away.

[paprkutr]

I was just asked for a good pumpkin cheesecake recipe, could you share yours. I don't know what a French style is like. TIA

[Ali]

paprkutr - unfortunately, my fav. recipe seems to have died somewhere in internet-land. However, I will say that the pumpkin cheesecake recipe that is (or at least used to be) on the back of the Philly cream cheese cheesecake works as a great base recipe - using it to tweak to your moods: adding a little five-spice for some extra depth, etc.

French-style cheesecake is generally just lighter and airier, using gelatin as a binder. The cheese in this cheesecake coming from Neufchatel. It takes quite a bit of tweaking to get this sort of batter (custard? what the heck is it?) to work with a crumbly crust (like the gingersnaps) since it's usually done with a pastry crust. It's doable, though I don't know that I could help on procedure since I just wing it whenever I do crazy things like this.

In any case, probably a Philly-style (really, just lighter than the NY-style) would go over better at the Thanksgiving table since it just feels more familiar.

And all my rec. revolve around the fact that I really don't like the brick that is NY-style cheesecake, so if that's your style, definitely don't listen to me. I'm biased again it.